Here is another chapter; this story is on a roll. In this chapter I couldn't help throw in a little bit of Nallen this chapter, and possibly future chapters, but this story revolves around Kensi and Deeks.

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She's Silently Hurting

Chapter 4

Nell's P.O.V

I get up early the next morning and turn Kensi's coffee pot on and leave a note letting her know I left early. This was something I remember Deeks telling I needed to do if I ever left before Kensi was awake, he told me when he first learn that me a Kensi's friendship was growing. I watched as he told me, that rationally she knew, but it helped emotionally.

The way he spoke, was not like she was an emotionally unstable person, but protective and loving. So I followed his advice every time I left her place early.

I take one last look at the spotless apartment before I shut the door and head to my car. It takes me an hour to get home, shower, and change then drive to OSP. The old Spanish style Mission was my home away from home. Looking at the parking lot I see that besides Kensi everyone is here. I quickly make my way inside and into the bullpen.

"Nell how did it go?" Callen asks immediately as he stands up and moves to the front of his desk. Sam looks up and leans forward, both men extremely worried about their little sister.

"She's hurting," I say sadly. "I had to wake her up from a nightmare early this morning, but you know it is bad when she not only cleans her desk," I say pointing to the clean wood desk. "But also cleans her entire apartment. I mean the place is freaking spotless."

On any other day we probably would have laughed because, Kensi Blye doesn't clean, ever. But today we stand in silence pondering just what this meant about the young female agent. Sam is now leaning back in his chair facing Deeks' desk, his mind lost in his thoughts. Callen is staring at me with his piercing blue eyes, sharper than Deeks'. Callen sighs as he runs his hand down his face.

"This isn't good." He says quietly.

"No it is not. Look, I am not about to betray Kensi's trust by telling you her secrets, but she has been hurting since Afghanistan, but it wasn't about what happened to her over there."

"It's about Deeks." Sam states.

"I think, the best way to keep her safe is to remind her that we are all here for her, and that on some level we all understand. But we have to do it gently or…"

"Or she will think that we are suffocating her, babying her." Callen finishes. "And that doesn't bode well to piss Kensi off." He laughs causing all of us to chuckle.

"Alright, I'm going to go talk to Eric and then look into Deeks' case for the two of them." I say as I make my way upstairs, all the way I feel those piercing blue eyes following me.

Callen's P.O.V

I watch Nell bound up the stairs then disappear around the corner. "You know sometimes you are as bad as Deeks G." Sam's voice tears me from my thoughts about the red haired analyst.

"What are you talking about?" I say as I move to sit down at my desk and begin my paperwork, trying to feign ignorance at Sam's words and prodding gaze.

"Please you look at her the same way Deeks looks at Kensi, you are just a lot better at hiding it than him." Sam laughs, leaning back in his chair. I keep my eyes firmly downward as I write up a report. "Come on G, admit it."

I look up about to retort when Kensi walks in. Now normally this is when she jumps in on whatever Sam is poking fun about but today like every other day for the past two months she merely sits down and begins her paperwork.

Sam and I exchange glances before returning to work. I remember Nell's words about how at work Kensi felt she had to be numb, but this just simply wasn't true. She thought that showing her emotions meant weakness in this job, a job dominated my men, but she is wrong, not that I would tell her, I would like children one day maybe.

I stand up and casually walk out of the bullpen, receiving a questioning look from Sam and nothing from Kensi. I walk up to Hetty's desk and plop down without grace into one of her ornate chairs. The silence stretches on as I stare at the wall behind Hetty and Hetty stares at me as she sips her tea.

"Is there something you wanted to discuss Mr. Callen?" Hetty says staring me down.

"Kensi." I state.

"Ah, man would have an easier time decoding the hieroglyphs of Ancient Egypt than decode the inner workings of Ms. Blye's inner thoughts."

"Well that is just the thing Deeks has decoded it, kept them stable, and kept them from traveling to the darkest parts of her mind. You've seen it Hetty, she isn't the same woman from before Deeks, she actually smiles, and she isn't so reckless. And now that he isn't here… I don't know." I shrug glancing back at Kensi. She has her back to me and is simply staring at her computer screen.

"Yes that is why I partnered them all those years ago. However I fear that this assignment with LAPD will be a long one."

"How long?" I say, my voice hard, I wasn't sure how much longer Kensi could last like this. I didn't fear that she would do something to herself; I fear that she would revert back to the old Kensi and get herself killed in the field.

"Anywhere from six months to a year." Hetty relays, her voice sad and despondent. I shake my head angrily.

"There has to be something that we can do."

"I would suggest you take up Nell's plan of action. Let Kensi know that you are there for her, and work with Nell, Eric and Sam to see if you can't help with Mr. Deeks' case, without stepping on LAPD's toes mind you."

"But none of that will matter when he comes back, because LAPD will just pull him away from us." I look up to Hetty and notice a wry smile touching her lips. "Hetty?"

"Before Mr. Deeks left he signed the papers to become an NCIS agent. When he comes back he will be Agent Deeks."

"Does Kensi know?"

She shakes her head. "Mr. Deeks was adamant that he be the one to tell Ms. Blye upon his return." I nod.

"Back to Nell's idea… how can we be there for Kensi when she doesn't want us there? Trying to get her to open is near impossible unless you have Shaggy hair."

Hetty chuckles and sets her tea cup down and shakes her head. "Mr. Callen, Mr. Deeks and Ms. Jones both had to force themselves into Kensi's place, and force her to open up. However both had two different ways of going about it. you just have to find a way to let her know that you are here. Ms. Blye is an incredibly stubborn woman."

"That she is." I say. I sit there pondering how I would let Kensi know that I was here when I hear Eric's whistle.

"Case on deck people."

I exit Hetty's office and walk over to the stares, discretely watching Kensi out of the corner of my eye. She had bags under her eyes and her face was set in a passive scowl. Her shoulders were wrought with tension, her back rammered straight.

As I looked at the female agent I was overcome with a sense of dread, this case wasn't going to be pretty. Something bad was coming and my gut was telling me that it involved Kensi. I could only hope that I could protect her if it came to that.

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A. Grayson